Strategy

Statistical Information, Strategy

Interest Rates Bottom Out, Sparking High Buyer Demand

Interest Rates Bottom Out, Sparking High Buyer Demand Most recently, we have experienced an uptick in market activity. In fact, King county saw a 35% increase in pending sales from December to January, and Snohomish County 38%. The seasonal uptick from the holidays to the New Year is normal, but it was quite sizable. […]
Helpful Information, Strategy

2019 – The Year in Review

2019 was a return to normalcy in the real estate market. After a volatile 2018 which encountered a sharp mid-year shift from an extreme seller’s market, 2019 had a more normal pace of seasonality and selection. After four to five years of multiple offers, week-long market times, waived inspections, and huge price escalations, we’ve now experienced a […]
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Is the Condominium Lifestyle Right for You?

Condominium homes are a great, low-maintenance choice for a primary residence, second home, or investment property. This alternative to the traditional single-family home has unique issues to consider before buying, as well as unique benefits. Increasingly, condos are not just for first-time homebuyers looking for a less expensive entry into the housing market. Empty-nesters and […]
Statistical Information, Strategy

October 2019 – What is a Dual Real Estate Market?

Last month, we did an analysis on the new phenomenon of a dual market. A dual market is when you have different market conditions within the same overarching real estate market. This duality presents amazing opportunities for sellers who are also buyers, depending on where they want to go. We reported on two […]

Statistical Information Interest Rates Bottom Out, Sparking High Buyer Demand Interest Rates Bottom Out, Sparking High Buyer Demand Most recently, we have experienced an uptick in market activity. In fact, King county saw a 35% increase in pending sales from December to January, and Snohomish County 38%. The seasonal uptick from the holidays to the New Year is normal, but it was quite sizable. […]

Helpful Information 2019 – The Year in Review 2019 was a return to normalcy in the real estate market. After a volatile 2018 which encountered a sharp mid-year shift from an extreme seller’s market, 2019 had a more normal pace of seasonality and selection. After four to five years of multiple offers, week-long market times, waived inspections, and huge price escalations, we’ve now experienced a […]

Helpful Information Is the Condominium Lifestyle Right for You? Condominium homes are a great, low-maintenance choice for a primary residence, second home, or investment property. This alternative to the traditional single-family home has unique issues to consider before buying, as well as unique benefits. Increasingly, condos are not just for first-time homebuyers looking for a less expensive entry into the housing market. Empty-nesters and […]

Statistical Information October 2019 – What is a Dual Real Estate Market? Last month, we did an analysis on the new phenomenon of a dual market. A dual market is when you have different market conditions within the same overarching real estate market. This duality presents amazing opportunities for sellers who are also buyers, depending on where they want to go. We reported on two […]

Statistical Information Take Advantage of Great Interest Rates Most recently, buyers have enjoyed more selection in the marketplace which has led to more open negotiations versus bidding wars. This is illustrated by an increase in average Days on Market and a decrease in the average Sold-to-List Price Ratios complete-year over year (the last 12 months over the previous 12 months). In King County, the […]

Helpful Information 25 Ways to Fix Your Finances Fast Quickly give your finances a boost. Some financial fixes – from repairing your credit score to funding your retirement – can take years to pull off. Others take just a few minutes. Click forward for 25 quick financial moves. CREDIT Review your credit card statement. Sit down with your credit card bill and conduct an audit of your […]

Helpful Information Should I Refinance My Home? With the recent lower interest rates, many homeowners are wondering if they should refinance. To decide if refinancing is the best option for your family, start by asking yourself these questions: Why do you want to refinance? There are many reasons to refinance, but here are three of the most common ones: Lower your […]

Helpful Information Are You Better Off Paying Your Mortgage Earlier or Investing Your Money? Few topics cause more division among economists than the age-old debate of whether you’re better off paying off your mortgage earlier, or investing that money instead. And there’s a good reason why that debate continues; both sides make compelling arguments. For many people, their mortgage is the largest expense they will ever incur in their […]

Helpful Information Why is so Much Paperwork Required to Get a Mortgage? When buying a home today, why is there so much paperwork mandated by the lenders for a mortgage loan application? It seems like they need to know everything about you. Furthermore, it requires three separate sources to validate each and every entry on the application form. Many buyers are being told by friends and family that the process […]

Statistical Information Generational Shift Impacts Demand for Real Estate The generational shift that is happening in our country right now is having a strong influence on demand for real estate. As the Millennials gain a stronger foothold into their adulthood, Generation X settles in with family, Boomers move towards retirement and the Silent Generation find themselves making moves for health reasons, the desire […]

Helpful Information What’s Your Home Worth? What’s your home worth? How Reliable are Home Valuation Tools? It seems like a simple question, but finding that answer is more complicated than it might seem. Sites like Zillow, Redfin, Eppraisal, and others have built-in home valuation tools that make it seem easy, but how accurate are they? And which one do you believe […]

Helpful Information Should I Move or Remodel? Now That is a Good Question! There are a number of things that can trigger the decision to remodel or move to a new home. Perhaps you have outgrown your current space, you might be tired of struggling with ancient plumbing or wiring systems, or maybe your home just feels out of date. The question is: Should you stay or […]

Statistical Information Rent vs. Own? What’s the Best Investment? The current break-even horizon* in the Seattle Metro area is 1.69 years! *The amount of time you need to own your home in order for owning to be a superior financial decision. With expensive rental rates, historically low interest rates, and home prices softening, there are advantages to buying versus renting. In fact, the Seattle Metro […]

Statistical Information Recent Decrease in Interest Rates Spurs Opportunity Most recently, we have experienced an uptick in market activity. In fact, in King and Snohomish counties we saw a 53% increase in pending sales from December to January. While it is seasonally normal to see activity increase at the first of the year, it was 16% higher than the previous January. This increase is being […]

Statistical Information 2019 Economic & Housing Forecast Before you read the complete Matthew Gardner forecast below, here are a few thoughts about the Seattle area: Seattle remains strong economically and our job market is thriving. Interest rates are still historically low and will rise, but not beyond 6%. It is still a seller’s market in our area, but price escalations are softening, […]

Strategy 2018 The Year in Review 2018 was a year of growth and change. The dynamic greater Seattle area and hottest real estate market in the country started to head toward some balance. After six years of expansion resulting in an extreme seller’s market, we encountered a market shift in the late spring. Where it is tricky, is the media paints a somewhat scary […]

Strategy Wealth Building Opportunities for First Time Home Buyers With the sharpest increase of available homes for sale in years, more opportunities are now available for buyers, including first-timers. Many first-time home buyers have sat on the sidelines and remained renters due to the constriction of inventory, which put major pressure on price affordability. Not only has affordability been an issue, but the terms required to prevail […]

Strategy Is the Real Estate Market Finally Getting Back to Normal? The housing market has been anything but normal for the last eleven years. In a normal real estate market, home prices appreciate 3.7% annually. Below, however, are the price swings since 2007 according to the latest Home Price Expectation Survey: After the bubble burst in June 2007, values depreciated 6.1% annually until February 2012. […]

Strategy Navigating the Changing Market! The late spring market brought about some welcomed change to our local real estate markets. In May, we experienced the largest increase in inventory in a decade! North King County and South Snohomish County are two examples of what is happening in all the markets across the Puget Sound as we head into the second […]

Strategy Selling Your House on Your Own Could Cost You In this extremely hot real estate market, some homeowners might consider selling their homes on their own which is known as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). They rationalize that they don’t need a real estate agent and believe that they can save the fee for the services a real estate agent offers. However, a […]